Watch his appearance on 100.7 KSLX in Phoenix, AZ, above. Halford had enthused over the nomination since it had been revealed, encouraging fans to participate in a public vote that counted towards the induction. Despite his efforts, the ceremony in April 2018 will instead feature Bon Jovi, Dire Straits, the Moody Blues and the Cars.

“I found out yesterday… I had a text from management saying, ‘Just to let you know…’ but today was the official announcement,” Halford told hosts Mark and Neanderpaul, before reading the email he’d received earlier that day. “Thank you for embracing your nomination for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. While you didn’t garner enough votes for induction this year, you were part of a very select group of Hall Of Fame nominees.

“Artists are frequently on the ballot multiple times before they are inducted. For example, Black Sabbath were nominated eight times before their induction, Patti Smith seven times, Solomon Burke nine times, and both the Beastie Boys and the Yardbirds were on the ballot three times before their respective inductions.”

The message continued: “If you are touring or simply traveling nearby, please visit our museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Our six floors of exhibitions tell the remarkable history of rock and roll and how it changed the world. You're part of that story and we'd love to share it with you. Again, congratulations on your nomination. My best, Greg Harris, President and CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.”

“So they basically sent you an invite,” host Paul ‘Neanderpaul’ Marshall commented. “You got a Groupon from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”

Despite his disappointment, Halford insisted he remained “hopeful” about induction in the future. “Personally I would love it,” he said. “As I’ve said before, I think we deserve it. We’ve put our 10,000 hours in and more, and beyond that we just feel that heavy metal music deserves more space on the shelf of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.” He added: “We were thrilled and honored to even be nominated.”

Judas Priest will release their new studio album Firepower early next year.